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Thursday, Mar 08, 2007
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Help build Ram temple: Rajnath

Special Correspondent

Appeals for Muslim initiative

NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party president Rajnath Singh wants Muslims to take the initiative in helping build a Ram temple on the disputed site in Ayodhya.

Addressing the party's Minorities' Morcha here on Wednesday — the occasion was provided by Bihar MP Shahnawaz Husain taking charge as Morcha president — Mr. Singh said Muslims must take the initiative to build a consensus on the contentious issue through dialogue and "take the lead [in building the temple at the Ayodhya site]."

He reiterated the party's position on the temple issue, that it must be built "at the place Ram was born."

At the same time, he assured Muslims that "if any other place of worship were to be demolished the BJP would oppose it."

The Sachar Committee, the worsening condition of Muslims under "fifty years of Congress rule," vote bank politics and even the fact that he was aware Muslims believed that the BJP was against them were mentioned by Mr. Singh. "We want a strong India and for this Hindus and Muslims must be together. "

Mr. Singh gave the impression that in the BJP's world-view there was a special connection between the welfare of Indian Muslims and the India-Pakistan peace initiative.

He said that during the National Democratic Alliance Government's tenure "visas for visits to Pakistan had been simplified."

The former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee visited Lahore to start the peace process.

The BJP has made it plain that it would be using the "pro-minority" utterances of the Congress and the Samajwadi Party as a major poll plank in Uttar Pradesh.

At the same time, the party's effort is to "neutralise" the acknowledged Muslim antipathy towards the BJP to prevent the polarisation of the Muslim vote against it.

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